Migratory bird regulations for - Florida Fish and Wildlife ...

Areas with boat motor restrictions
The restrictions and prohibitions on the use of internal
combustion outboard motors (including airboats) for
Lake Iamonia and Carr Lake in Leon County, and Lake
Miccosukee in Leon and Jefferson counties will not
begin until the regular waterfowl and coot season.
Outboard motors and airboats may be used on these
lakes during the special early duck season.
Rail and common moorhen
Season: Sept. 1 – Nov. 9, 2012
Shooting hours: one-half hour before sunrise to sunset
Bag limits:
Clapper and king rails – daily limit 15, possession limit
30 (singly or in aggregate)
Sora and Virginia rails – daily limit 25, possession
limit 25 (singly or in aggregate)
Common moorhen – daily limit 15, possession limit 30
Purple gallinule – no open season
Special early duck
Season: Sept. 22-26, 2012
Legal to take: wood ducks and teal
Shooting hours: one-half hour before sunrise to sunset
Bag limit: daily limit 4, only 2 of which may be wood
ducks; possession limit 8, only 4 of which may be
wood ducks. These bag limits are for the special early
duck season only. Taking or attempting to take coots
or any species of duck other than wood ducks and teal
is prohibited. Hunting is permitted every day in Leon
County during the special early duck season.
September Canada goose
Season: Sept. 1-26, 2012
Legal to take: Canada geese
Shooting hours: one-half hour before sunrise to sunset
Bag limit: daily limit 5; possession limit 10
Canada goose season is open statewide.
Mourning and white-winged dove
Season: First phase - Oct. 6-29, 2012
Second phase -- Nov. 10-25, 2012
Third phase -- Dec. 8, 2012 – Jan. 6, 2013
Shooting hours: First phase -- noon to sunset. Second
and third phase -- one-half hour before sunrise to
sunset.
Bag limit: 15 doves daily, 30 in possession (singly or in
aggregate)
Snipe
Season: Nov. 1, 2012 – Feb. 15, 2013
Shooting hours: one-half hour before sunrise to sunset
Bag limit: daily limit 8, possession limit 16
Woodcock
Season: Dec. 18, 2012 – Jan. 31, 2013
Shooting hours: one-half hour before sunrise to sunset
Bag limit: daily limit 3, possession limit 6
Migratory Bird Permit and Harvest
Information Program
If you’re going to hunt ducks, geese, coots, common
moorhens, rails, snipe, woodcock, mourning doves
or white-winged doves in Florida you need to have a
Migratory Bird Permit. You can obtain this no-cost
permit at the time you purchase your hunting license or
at a later date. Permits are available from any license
agent, tax collector’s offce or at www.license.MyFWC.
com after answering a few questions about previous
year’s hunting activities.
Lifetime and fve-year license holders will need to obtain
a Migratory Bird Permit each year. The following are
exempt from this permit: hunters who are under 16 or
are 65 years of age or older, military personnel who
are home on leave, hunting on their own homestead
property or their parents’ or minor child’s homestead
property or certifed totally and permanently disabled.
The information you provide when you obtain a
Migratory Bird Permit is used in the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service’s (USFWS) Harvest Information Program
(H.I.P.). H.I.P. is a system to enable the USFWS to
get an accurate reading of how many migratory birds
hunters take each year. Some hunters will receive
surveys later in the season to record the numbers and
species of birds they take during migratory bird hunting
seasons. If you receive one of the surveys in the mail,
flling it out is optional but extremely important to
the future of migratory bird hunting in Florida and the
country.
Crow regulations
Season: Aug. 11 – Oct. 28, 2012 Saturdays and
Sundays only and Nov. 11, 2012 – Feb. 18, 2013.
Shooting hours: one-half hour before sunrise to one-half
hour after sunset
Bag limit: no bag or possession limits
Permit, stamp and license requirements: none
Wildlife Alert Reward Association
Wildlife law violators are thieves who steal from you and
your natural heritage. To report wildlife law violators,
call the WILDLIFE ALERT toll-free number, 888-404­
FWCC (888-404-3922); cellular *FWC or #FWC in
specifc areas. You may qualify for a cash reward from
the Wildlife Alert Reward Association.
Report band numbers two ways
1. By phone: 1-800-327-BAND (1-800-327-2263)
2. On the Internet: www.reportband.gov
You may report by telephone or on the Internet any
banded ducks or other migratory game birds that you
shoot. Please report these bands. Band recovery
information is critical to good management and helps
ensure that we can continue to provide duck hunting
opportunities. By reporting this information, you will be
able to fnd out when and where your bird was banded.
Certifcates of Appreciation are sent by the USGS
Bird Banding Laboratory to persons reporting band
encounters. Due to budget constraints and the desire
to reduce paper, electronic certifcates will be delivered
via email. Paper certifcates will no longer be mailed.
The band is yours to keep. Thanks for your cooperation.
Attention duck hunters
Only teal and wood ducks are legal to take during the
special early duck season. Mottled ducks, also known
as Florida ducks or Florida mallards, and black-bellied
and fulvous whistling ducks use the same habitats as
teal in Florida. Teal are much smaller, have light blue
wing patches and rapidly twist and turn in fight. Know
the difference! Mottled ducks are a large, mottled
brown duck with a light-colored head and neck. No
species of duck may be taken during the special early
duck season except wood ducks and teal. Be sure of
your target before you pull the trigger.
If you have any questions about regulations in this
brochure, call the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation
Commission at 850-488-4676.
For additional information on federal hunting regulations
or violations, contact U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
special agents: Groveland 352-429-1037; Ft. Myers
239-561-8144; Miami 305-526-2610; Vero Beach 772­
562-3909 or Tallahassee 850-402-0573.
Printed on recycled paper.
2012-2013
Migratory bird
regulations for
dove, snipe, woodcock, rail, moorhen,
crow and early waterfowl seasons
Andy Wraithmell

Major changes for the
2012-2013 season
No major changes for the 2012-2013 season.
A summary of the Federal Regulations that pertain to
migratory bird hunting is now available at www.myfwc.
com/hunting/by-species/waterfowl.
Migratory game birds
Migratory birds are protected by federal law as a result
of treaties signed with other countries. Protected
migratory birds are listed in Title 50 Code of Federal
Regulations, Section 10.13. This list includes almost
all birds found in the United States with the exception
of the house sparrow, feral pigeon (commonly called
rock dove), European starling, Eurasian collared-dove,
mute swan, and upland game birds (which are protected
by state laws).
All migratory birds are protected. However, a subset
of migratory birds classifed as migratory game birds
may be hunted in accordance with State and Federal
regulations. The list of migratory game birds includes
species of ducks, geese (including brant), swans,
doves and pigeons, cranes, rails, coots, gallinules and
moorhens, woodcock and snipe, if there is an open
season. There is no open season in Florida on purple
gallinule, cranes, harlequin duck, brant, or geese
(except greater and lesser snow and Ross’s geese and
Canada geese).
Daily bag and possession limits
Daily bag limit: The maximum number of migratory
game birds of a single species or combination
(aggregate) of species permitted to be taken by one
person in any one day during the open season in any
one specifed geographic area for which a daily bag
limit is prescribed.
Possession limit: The maximum number of migratory
game birds of a single species or a combination
of species permitted to be possessed by any one
person when lawfully taken in the United States
in any one specifed geographic area for which a
possession limit is prescribed.
Tagging requirement: No person shall put or leave
any migratory game birds at any place (other than
at his personal abode), or in the custody of another
person for picking, cleaning, processing, shipping,
transportation, or storage (including temporary
storage), or for the purpose of having taxidermy
services performed, unless such birds have a tag
attached, signed by the hunter, stating his address,
the total number and species of birds, and the date
such birds were killed. Migratory game birds being
transported in any vehicle as the personal baggage
of the possessor shall not be considered as being in
storage or temporary storage.
Custody of birds of another: No person shall receive or
have in custody any migratory game birds belonging
to another person unless such birds are properly
tagged.
Transportation of birds of another: No person shall
transport migratory game birds belonging to another
person unless such birds are properly tagged.
Species identifcation requirement: No person shall
transport within the United States any migratory
game birds, except doves and band-tailed pigeons,
unless the head or one fully feathered wing remains
attached to each such bird at all times while being
transported from the place where taken until they
have arrived at the personal abode of the possessor
or a migratory bird preservation facility.
Wanton waste of migratory game birds: No person
shall kill or cripple any migratory game bird without
making a reasonable effort to retrieve the bird, and
retain it in his actual custody, at the place where
taken or between that place and either (a) his
automobile or principal means of land transportation;
or (b) his personal abode or temporary or transient
place of lodging; or (c) a migratory bird preservation
facility; or (d) a post offce; or (e) a common carrier
facility.
Personal abode: One’s principal or ordinary home or
dwelling place, as distinguished from one’s temporary
or transient place of abode or dwelling such as a
hunting club, or any club house, cabin, tent or trailer
house used as a hunting club, or any hotel, motel or
rooming house used during a hunting, pleasure or
business trip.
Lawful means and methods
Shotguns not larger than 10-gauge (shotguns capable
of holding more than three shells must be plugged to a
three-shell capacity with a one-piece fller that cannot
be removed without disassembling the gun), long and
compound bows and arrows, falconry, dogs, artifcial
decoys and manual or mouth-operated bird calls.
Hunting is permitted in the open or from a blind or
other type of concealment (except a sink box) or from a
foating craft.
Unlawful means and methods
No persons shall take migratory game birds:
With a trap, snare, net, rife, pistol, swivel gun,
shotgun larger than 10 gauge, punt gun, battery
gun, machinegun, fsh hook, poison, drug, explosive,
or stupefying substance
With a shotgun of any description capable of holding
more than three shells, unless it is plugged with
a one-piece fller, incapable of removal without
disassembling the gun, so its total capacity does not
exceed three shells
From or by means, aid, or use of a sinkbox or any
other type of low foating device, having a depression
affording the hunter a means of concealment
beneath the surface of the water
From or by means, aid, or use of any motor vehicle,
motor-driven land conveyance, or aircraft of any kind,
except that paraplegics and persons missing one or
both legs may take from any stationary motor vehicle
or stationary motor-driven land conveyance
From or by means of any motorboat or other craft
having a motor attached, or any sailboat, unless the
motor has been completely shut off and/or the sails
furled, and its progress there from has ceased
By the use or aid of live birds as decoys; although
not limited to, it shall be a violation of this paragraph
for any person to take migratory waterfowl on an area
where tame or captive live ducks or geese are
present unless such birds are and have been for
a period of 10 consecutive days prior to such taking,
confned within an enclosure which substantially
reduces the audibility of their calls and totally
conceals such birds from the sight of wild migratory
waterfowl
By the use or aid of recorded or electrically amplifed
bird calls or sounds, or recorded or electrically
amplifed imitations of bird calls or sounds. This
restriction does not apply during dates States haves
selected under the Conservation Order for light
geese (i.e. greater and lesser snow and Ross’s
geese) or those selected for the control of resident
Canada geese. Taking or attempting to take any
game species in Florida with recorded game calls or
sounds is prohibited (68A-12.002)
By means or aid of any motor driven land, water, or
air conveyance, or any sailboat used for the purpose
of or resulting in the concentrating, driving, rallying,
or stirring up of any migratory bird
By the aid of baiting, or on or over any baited area,
where a person knows or reasonably should know
that the area is or has been baited
Nontoxic shot
No person may take ducks, geese or coots while
possessing shot (either shellshots or as loose shot for
muzzleloading) other than approved non-toxic shot.
For a list of approved non-toxic shot, see (http://www.
fws.gov/migratorybirds/CurrentBirdIssues/nontoxic.
htm)
Permit, stamp and license requirements
All persons taking or attempting to take migratory
game birds are required to have a valid Florida Hunting
License, Sportsman’s License, Lifetime Hunting
License, Lifetime Sportsman’s License, or Five-year
Hunting License and a free Migratory Bird Permit. In
addition to a hunting license and Migratory Bird Permit,
hunters taking or attempting to take ducks or geese
are required to have a Florida Waterfowl Permit ($5
plus issuance fee) and a Federal Duck Stamp ($15).
The law requires that each waterfowl hunter 16 years
of age and older must carry on his person a Migratory
Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp (Federal Duck
Stamp) that is validated by the hunter signing the
stamp in ink across the face of the stamp. Persons
possessing a Florida Resident Sportsman’s License,
Lifetime Sportsman’s License, or Lifetime Hunting
License need only the Migratory Bird Permit and the
Federal Duck Stamp to take or attempt to take ducks or
geese. The Sportsman’s License, Lifetime Sportsman’s
License and Lifetime Hunting License include the
Florida Waterfowl Permit. Federal Duck Stamps are
available at U.S. Postal Service offces, as well as
some retail sporting goods stores and county tax
collectors’ offces, and online at: www.duckstamp.com.
All other licenses and permits are available at county
tax collectors’ offces and from subagents, such as
sporting goods stores or other retailers selling hunting
or fshing equipment. In addition, Florida hunting or
fshing licenses may be purchased 24 hours a day with
a credit card by calling toll-free 1-888-HUNT-FLORIDA
(1-888-486-8356) or online through the FWC’s website
at MyFWC.com. A convenience charge will be added in
both cases.
Exemptions: Florida residents 65 years of age or older;
residents totally and permanently disabled possessing
a disability license; and any resident who is a member
of the Armed Forces of the United States, who is not
stationed in this state, while home on leave for 30
days or less, upon submission of orders are exempt
from hunting license, Migratory Bird Permit and Florida
Waterfowl permit requirements and only are required
to have the Federal Duck Stamp. Children under 16
years of age are exempt from hunting license, Migratory
Bird Permit, Florida Waterfowl permit and Federal Duck
Stamp requirements.